GREEN BUILDING WITH EMICODE®

LOW-EMISSION PRODUCTS

When is a construction material

considered sustainable?

When it is produced from safe raw

materials? When produced in a

resource-efficient manufacturing pro-

cess? When its durability exceeds that

of comparable products or when it can

be recycled and re-introduced into the

value-creation process?

To date, the absolute sustainability

value of a single product is hard to

measure. The individual facets of

sustainable actions in the industry are

just too diverse. Other issues in the

equation are how sustainability and

quality of a product interact with each

other. Experts know full well that

sustainability can only be determined in

connection with the intended use of a

construction product. For example, a

floor covering adhesive significantly

adds to the durability of the floor

covering and thus makes a valuable

contribution to the sustainability of the

building. The same applies for parquet.

However, there is one distinguishing

criterion which in most cases determines

sustainability irrespective of the

intended use: the volume of emissions

into the indoor air.

The EMICODE® classifies building

materials into three categories based

on the volume of emitted organic

substances. Therefore, this classi-

fication system offers architects

and planners, customers and end

users as well as contractors safe

guidelines for the selection of the right

materials for “green building” – and

at the same time covers the issue

of sustainability. n

05 What does the EMICODE® offer?

07 Three classes, one system

09 Controlled quality

11 EMICODE® – the most discerning VOC environmental seal

13 Product range

15 Added value

17 Committed to the EMICODE®

19 Reactions from the industry

21 A word or two

23 Glossary and Legal Notice

Preface Contents

Climate change and an

ever changing work environ-

ment will result in more

and more people spending

the majority of their life

indoors. Heated during the

winter, cooled down in

summer – ventilation systems

are the norm. Therefore,

air quality in buildings

is increasingly important.

Air quality is determined by the emis-

sions from construction components

in a building. Green Building in offices

and homes will be the state-of-the-art

technology with implementation of the

passive-house standards.

For building materials this will have

conse quences: they have to meet very

high standards regarding emission

characteristics, sustainability, recycla-

bility, durability and must be easy to

renovate and to replace. In addition

they must be able to be adapted for

variable uses: today for office, tomor-

row for living purposes.

Thus, in the future, the value of a prop-

erty will essentially be measured by the

cost of the components – either for

demolition and disposal or in case of

modernisation, renovation or change of

use. Each harmful substance has neg-

ative effects and results in depreciation.

Low polluting and low emission build-

ing is therefore future-proof.

For architects, these requirements are

hard to meet without neutral, easy to un-

derstand and legally watertight guidance.

This is where the EMICODE® comes in. It

offers guidance and ensures perfect, sus-

tainable, green building and gives reliable

information regarding building materials.

The minimum requirements already in

place for nurseries and schools, will in

the future also be standards for homes

and offices.

Therefore, a quality seal such as the

EMICODE® is an essential tool for plan-

ners to ensure future-proof planning

meeting the required standards while at

the same time providing legal security. n

Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Zach

President of the Association

of German Architects (VDA)

32

Environmental certificates are

more and more becoming

the central factor for buying

decisions.

If a building shall be certified as sus-

tainable after completion of construction,

environmental analyses of ingredients

and emission characteristics of building

products are essential – in fact before

they are even installed.

There are different evaluation criteria

for “green building” and emission

character istics that play a central

role with regard to sustainability

rating and healthy living. The criteria

established by DGNB (German

Sustainable Building Council) for exam-

ple stipulate that buildings that do not

comply with certain minimum require-

ments for indoor air quality shall not

be certified.

An essential parameter for indoor air

hygiene is the concentration of harmful

volatile organic compounds (VOC),

emitted into the air by different materials.

Especially since people tend to spend

more and more time indoors, the issue

of type and volume of emissions into

the air from materials used on walls

and floors becomes ever more urgent.

While facades are insulated and window

joints nowadays are hermetically

sealed, ventilation habits have not kept

pace with the technical developments

in the area of building shells. Expert

recommend a complete exchange of

indoor air of approximately 0.8 air

changes per hour. In reality, not even

half of that rate is achieved (0.36 / hour).

In particular emissions from freshly

applied varnishes, adhesives, sealing

systems and other construction

materials may lead to an alarming

increase of VOC concentrations in the

indoor air even days after installation.

For some 20 years already, the

EMICODE® offers reliable, safe guide-

lines for the selection of low emission

building products. A protected,

competition neutral environmental seal,

it classifies installation materials and

building products and certifies them

in terms of their emission characteristics

– across product, technology and

national boundaries.

In everyday life, this is most helpful.

No need to compare domestic and

international limits and seals. Because:

referring to VOC emissions, the

EMICODE® premium class “EC 1PLUS”

imposes the most demanding stand-

ards. In addition, the EMICODE®

covers the broadest range of construc-

tion and auxiliary substances and is

the only VOC seal submitting the prod-

ucts to random inspections. Thus, this

certification seal offers an important

contribution to the environment,

healthy living and indoor air hygiene. n

What does the EMICODE® offer?

13%

87%

70% at home

14%

6%

4%

6%

at the workplace

in department stores

in various forms of transportation

other buildings

outdoors

indoors thereof:

On average, adults spend almost 21 hours daily (= 87 %) in indoor spaces. Approximately 15 of these 21 hours (= 70 %) in their own homes.

Source: Environmental study Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) 1990 / 92

In brief

■n EMICODE® complies with the requirements for “green building”

■n Competition neutral

■n Most demanding require-ments with regard to VOC emissions

■n Essential contribution to healthy living

■n Covers a broad range of products

■n Recognized internationally

■n Safe guideline

54

The EMICODE® is a system

made up of three categories,

exclusively classifying low

emission building products

based on firmly defined, stand-

ardised analyses methods.

The EMICODE® and the associated

test procedure were developed by

experts from different branches of the

construction industry in close dialogue

with environmental and consumer

protection organisations. The main

criterion for classification into the

respective EMICODE® class is the

volume of emitted volatile organic

compounds (VOC). The classification

criteria are continually adapted to the

current state-of-the-art.

Once a manufacturer applies for

certification of one of his products, its

emission characteristics are tested

by an independent analytical labora-

tory based on a defined standardized

test procedure.

Based on the scientifically established

data, the manufacturer is awarded

the certificate with classification into

the respective EMICODE® class.

This certificate then entitles him to mark

his product with the trademark-pro-

tected EMICODE® seal and to promote

it accordingly.

Manufacturers whose products bear

the EMICODE® undertake to manufacture

these products in a quality assured

and controlled manner in order to

comply with the standards at all times.

In the course of the tests, products are

examined for volatile and semi-volatile

organic compounds (VOCs). Products

containing carcinogenic, mutagenic

and reprotoxic substances (CMR sub-

stances) are generally never EMICODE®

certified. Also excluded are products

emitting carcinogenic substances

of category 1A and 1B and products

containing solvents (boiling point

< 200 °C; Exception: parquet varnishes

up to 5 % or 8 % of solvents). n

Three classes, one system

In brief

■n Objective three class evaluation system for low emission building products

■n not awarded for products containing solvents (ex-ception: parquet varnishes) or products with CMR* ingredients

■n Products are tested by independent, internationally established institutes

■n EMICODE® EC 1PLUS is currently the strictest quality label for low emission products

* CMR: carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic

μg/m3

TVOC after 3 days ≤ 750 1,000 3,000

TVOC after 28 days ≤ 60 100 300

Formaldehyde after 3 days ≤ 50 50 50

Acetaldehyde after 3 day ≤ 50 50 50

Sum total form- and acetaldehyde after 3 days ≤ 0.05 ppm 0.05 ppm 0.05 ppm

1 µg (microgram) = 0.001 mg = 0.000001 gTVOC = Total volume of emissions of volatile organic compounds For parquet varnishes see www.emicode.com

Now imagine you dissolve a sugar cube in ...

… then the level of emissions of an “EMICODE® EC 1PLUS ” product after a measurement period of 28 days is comparable to the sugar concentration in a reservoir.

... a cup of coffee

› 1

0.0

00

.00

0.0

00

μg

/ m

³

… a tanker

› 1

.00

0 μ

g / m

³

… a reservoir

› 1

μg

/ m

³

≤ 750 μg / m³ after 3 days

≤ 60 μg / m³ after 28 days

The individual fields do not correspond to the real concentration ratios. The proportions can not be exactly displayed in a graph.1 µg / m3 = 0.001 mg / m3 = 0.000001 g / m3

That's how low the EC1Plus concentration limit is

76

Trust is good, control is better!

True to this motto, EMICODE®

certified products are

randomly inspected on a

regular basis.

Without the manufacturers being

informed, EMICODE® products are

purchased on the free market after a

random draw and are then tested

by internationally established test insti-

tutes for their emission characteristics

based on the test method described

in the glossary.

Violations are severely penalised. Even

technically, they could never be justified,

since minimizing the emission charac-

teristics does not necessarily require

any compromise regarding functionality

or technical quality of the product.

For products violating the advertised

EMICODE® properties, manufacturers

shall bear the testing costs. In addition,

they are obligated to submit for retesting

based on the same testing methods all

new charges of the product manufac-

tured after remedy of defects in their pro-

duction process. In case of recurrence,

the licence can be revoked and at worst,

manufacturers will lose all EMICODE®

certification rights. The effect of this sanc -

tion is not to be underestimat ed, since

products with the EC 1PLUS- or EC 1 label

play an important role in the market.

The test results of the last few years

clearly show that the discipline to produce

optimum qualities is only guaranteed

by regular re-examination. To date,

EMICODE® is the only VOC label on the

market subject to regular strict quality

controls and thereby offering the

highest possible level of consumer

protection regarding indoor air hygiene

and healthy living conditions. n

In brief

■n EMICODE® claims are regularly and randomly examined

■n EMICODE® is the only VOC environmental label subject to regular controls

■n Violations are severely penalised – even with loss of any type of certification rights

Controlled quality

Product-related certification license Pho

to: E

urofi

ns

98

In comparison with all

environmental labels, the

EMICODE® with its classes

EC 1 and EC 1PLUS currently

sets down the most exacting

emission limits in the market.

This is the conclusion reached by a

comparative study conducted by the

independent testing institute Eurofins

Product Testing A / S.

The scientists at their Galten /

Denmark site specialising in emission

measurements had examined the

criteria of different environmental

seals – among others also the labels of

EMICODE® classes EC 1 and EC 1PLUS.

At both times of measurement – after

three and then again after 28 days –

the EMICODE® guaranteed the lowest

TVOC readings. Even class EC 1 and

the Blue Angel label with their emission

claims are clearly in the top range.

Class EC 1PLUS is even more ambitious

with its claims and requirements. In ad-

dition, the EMICODE® statements are

continuously and randomly examined.

This is unique in this market and this is

how EMICODE® products offer the

highest level of safety against indoor

air contaminants. n

EMICODE® – the most exacting

VOC environmental seal

In brief

■n Comparative study shows: EMICODE® sets the strictest criteria

■n At both measurement points EMICODE® is the front runner and is also randomly controlled and checked

1110

Comparison table national environmental seals

Criterion

TVOC limit (3d) < 750 µg/m³ < 1,000 µg/m³ < 1,000 µg/m³ < 10,000 µg/m³

TVOC limit (28d) < 60 µg/m³ < 100 µg/m³ < 100 µg/m³ < 1,000 µg/m³

Random samples Lab tests Lab tests no tests no tests

* Ral 113

*

Product range

* RAL 113

In brief■n EMICODE® covers the broadest range of products in the building industry ■n Upon request, new product groups may be added■n Certification only after careful consideration

Scope of construction products

Primers ● ● –

Fillers ● ● –

Adhesives for floor

coverings and parquet

● ● ●

Adhesives and adhesive mortars for

tiles

● – ●

Grouts ● – ●

Installation underlays, adhesive

tapes / films

● ● ●

Surface sealants

● ● –

Joint sealants

● ● –

Surface treatment

products for parquet

● ● ●

Window sealing

systems● – –

Screeds ● – –

*

Initially, EMICODE® was

designed with indoor air

hygiene for floor installation

materials in mind (primers,

fillers and floor covering

adhesives), but by now, the

range has been extended

significantly.

The certification system is only

expanded after careful consideration

and exclusively when manufacturers,

processors, planners, architects

and consumers alike see an equally

significant benefit from evaluation

of the product and introduction of

the EMICODE®. n

Meanwhile, since the demand was

there, the EMICODE® evaluation

criteria have been adapted to other

related branches. In these cases, the

EMICODE® for testing, certification

and controls was always tailored to

the specific aspects of the different

build ing materials and product

categories. Compared to other environ-

mental seals, the EMICODE® for

building construction long since covers

the broadest range for the evaluation

of building chemicals. The latest addi-

tions were screeds and screed binders

as well as parquet grouts.

1312

The following comparison

shows the immense influence

EMICODE® has had on the

quality of indoor air hygiene

since its introduction in 1997

– for example:

while before, the total emission of vola-

tile organic compounds from commer-

cially available solvent-free dispersion

adhesives was ~ 10,000 µg / m³, VOC

emissions of certified adhesives were

not allowed to exceed ≤ 500 µg / m³

according to EMICODE® class “EC 1”,

the strictest category at the time. So, in

one shot, the emission concentration

in indoor spaces was reduced 20 fold.

Another side effect of this development

was a significant reduction of complaints

which was noted by trade and industry

shortly after introduction of the

EMICODE® criteria. Up until 2014, in

Germany alone approximately 3.6 billion

square meters of textile and elastic

floor coverings were installed with

“EC 1” certified primers, fillers and ad-

hesives – crack resins, underlay sys-

tems and many other products not even

included. In addition, there are joint and

surface sealants, grouts, window seal-

ing systems and many more products.

In the meantime, measuring methods

have been modernized and emission

standards were raised even further.

Nowadays, the VOC limit for products

certified as very low in emissions

is 100- to 500-fold lower than before

1997 and consequently well below

the current maximum limits permitted

by law.

Therefore, in craftsmen circles, “EC1”

and “EC1PLUS” are considered as “the”

quality label for low emission building

products.

Increasingly, tenders demand the use

of at least “EC1” certified installation

products. Also on the international

level, EMICODE® has become a more

and more established standard.

By now, many programs for sustainable

construction promote the use of

“EC1” or “EC1PLUS”-certified products:

LEED, DGNB, BREEAM.

Around 100 domestic and interna-

tional manufacturers meanwhile

value the EMICODE®. Currently,

there are more than 4,000 certified

construction products. n

In brief

■n VOC emissions decreased 20-fold with introduction of EMICODE®

■n At the same time complaints decreased significantly

■n Around 4,000 materials are EMICODE®-certified

■n More and more manufacturers have their products tested with the EMICODE®- test method

Added value

Before introduction of

EMICODE®

After introduction of

EMICODE®

500 µ/m³ 10.000 µ/m³

TVOC* emissions of commercially available dispersion adhesives; survey of Technical Commission of IVK - German Adhesives Association 1995

maximum TVOC* emissionsof "EC1" products

*TVOC = Total Volatile Organic Compounds

1514

EMICODE® was launched on

the initiative of renowned

German adhesive manufac-

turers with the objective to

offer contractors, architects,

planners, end consumers

and trade better guidance

relating to low emission

products, systems and

technologies available on

the market. With the estab-

lishment of the current

Association for the Control

of Emissions in Products for

Flooring Installation,

Adhesives and Construction

Products e.V. (GEV – Gemein-

schaft Emissionskontrollierte Verlegewerkstoffe, Klebstoffe und Bauprodukte e.V.) they

created the related licensing

as well as supervisory body.

By now, GEV is an internationally recog-

nized institution which thanks to its func-

tion as a market monitor, significantly

contributes to consumer, industrial safety

and environmental protection. At the

same time, EMICODE® has become an

interna tional guid ance and quality stand-

ard for low emission products.

Based on the high trustworthiness of this

environmental label and the broad range

of participating comp anies and certified

products, more and more domestic

and international companies are joining

the GEV. Between 2007 and 2014 alone,

the membership increased from 41 to

more than 100. n

29

51

2007 2015

German manufacturers using EMICODE®

12

51

2007 2015

International manufacturers using the EMICODE®

Committed to the EMICODE®

1997 – 9 manufacturers 2015 – 102 manufacturers

Between 2007 and 2015, the number of companies using the EMICODE® has risen by 148.8 percent.

2007 – 41 manufacturers

2015 – 102 manufacturers

As of: December 2015 As of: December 2015

In brief

■n GEV: licensing and super-visory body for EMICODE®

■n High international accept-ance and dissemination

■n Membership numbers rising continuously

■n More than 100 companies operating nationally and internationally are committed to the GEV and EMICODE®

1716

On the subject of harmful substances, adhesives with the EMICODE® EC 1 or better yet the new EMICODE® EC 1 PLUS label generate the lowest emissions.

“What the industry says

”1 | 2013, Page 124

Raw material producer

“ The EMICODE® significantly contributed

to the fact that all renowned raw material pro-

ducers have developed environmentally friendly

dispersions. Thanks to this development,

installation materials have become much

more ecological. ”Dr. Maximilian Rüllmann, Technical Marketing Poly-mer dispersions for construction chemistry at BASF

BG BAU

“ Thanks to the EMICODE®, solvents are defi-

nitely on the retreat, also in the development of

parquet adhesives. Therefore, EMICODE® indi-

rectly also made an important contribution to

the field of industrial safety ”Dr. Reinhold Rühl, Head of the Central Unit Hazardous Substances at the Occupational Insur-ance Association of the Construction Industry

General contractor

“ Increasingly, we are confronted with certifica-

tion criteria according to DGNB (German

Sustainable Building Council) or BNB

(Evaluation System for Sustainable Building

in the Public Sector). In our proposals, we are

obligated to list the materials used as well as

the raw materials and in some cases even the

production methods for these materials. For this

reason, industry specific seals such as the

EMICODE® take on a growing significance. ”Karl-Peter Arnolds, General Manager of medium-sized nesseler-grünzig-gruppe, headquartered in Aachen

Expert

“EC1 and EC1PLUS are so important and

have become the leading standard because

the criteria originate directly from the industry

and specifically deal with installation materials.

Statements claiming to be universally valid

inevitably will suffer when it comes to quality.

In this respect, the EMICODE® not only offers

the most reputable and reliable environmental

statement for our industry but also a feeling

of safety which the contractor can pass on

to his customers. ”Richard Kille, publicly appointed and sworn expert for the interior decorating and parquet layer as well as for the floor installing trade.

Carpet industry

“ Even today, selection of a carpet is not

necessarily primarily made based on looks and

appeal, but also based on its sustainability

value. In this context, from the point of view of

our industry, the EMICODE® and the EMICODE®

EC1PLUS class are indispensable standards for

sustainable building. ”Peter Schwarzmann, Technical Manager at carpet manufacturer Carpet Concept

Customer

“ For our company, reliable hospital-specific

standards are an important reference which re-

sult in a competitive advantage. Hence, we as a

clinic only use energy saving materials, medical-

ly safe wall paints as well as low emission instal-

lation materials. Since the EMICODE® offers the

safest emission criteria, we opted for a floor

structure with EMICODE® certified products. ”Thomas Stein, Technical Manager St. Marien Hospital Cologne

Installing company

“ As an entrepreneur, I am responsible towards

my employees and my customers. This also

includes that I make sure I am always up-to-

date with state-of-the-art developments on

environmental and health issues. Here, the

EMICODE® still sets the standard. ”Josef Zagolla, Owner of specialised flooring company Fußbodentechnik Schmitz GmbH in Cologne

1918

A word or two

There are many good ideas

floating around, but in the

end, few are translated into

actions. Fortunately, the

EMICODE® was one of the

good ideas that was not only

implemented but achieved

much more than its founders

initially planned.

When technological advances in the

1990s made a radical reduction of

volatile organic compounds not

only possible but also necessary,

manufacturers of floor installation

materials were trying to reduce or to

eliminate completely the percentage

of solvents in their products and to

improve the emission characteristics

of the products.

At the time, there existed no standards

for you as architects and planners,

contractors and consumers to offer

guidance when looking for low

emission primers, fillers and flooring

adhesives, let alone safety in the

jungle of products on the market.

Therefore, the EMICODE® started

out as a vision.

It wanted to create transparency,

prevent at the root the dissemination

of environmental advertising state-

ments which no one could compare

and offer guidance for the selection

process. The vision has long since

become a reality. Nowadays, the

EMICODE® is a producer-independent

quality and environmental label,

established across national borders

– a label which is independently

supervised and controlled and offers

sustainability. It has lead to a reduction

of complaints and has become a

label which industry and consumers

can trust.

Very quickly, a trend emerged. It became

clear: if you wanted to be competitive

as a manufacturer of chemical building

products, you needed to adapt. This

belief unites all those involved in the

overall value chain. Raw material

suppliers as well as manufacturers of

installation products. In their effort to

offer products best promoting healthy

living, all are pulling together.

The figures speak for themselves. The

circle of manufacturers relying on

the EMICODE® continuously grows.

The range of product categories and

technologies is equally expanding at

a fast pace. Consequently, the number

of EMICODE® certified products

constantly increases on the interna-

tional level. And there is no end in

sight. Consumers and contractors

as well as you as planners and archi-

tects benefit from its significance in

the market.

Meanwhile there is hardly any sector

in interior construction – whether in

new construction or for renovation

– for which there are no EMICODE®

certified products. On the contrary –

these products make their contribution

to healthy living and green building

everywhere. This enormous presence

in the market offers benefits for

consumers, contractors and for you

as architects and planners. And you

can always be sure: when there is the

EMICODE® label on the product, you

will get EMICODE® standards – today

and in the future. n

Stefan Neuberger

President of GEV

2120

Emission test cabinet

Adhesive

Glass plate

Adsorption

Thermodesorption

Sampling tube

Gas chromatograph

Sampling tube

Separation

Mass spectrometer

Identification and quantification

Air

Air

Sampling

Sampling

VOC test method Glossary

EC1PLUS

EMICODE® premium class. Products certi-fied with this label offer the lowest possible emission values on the market – in domestic as well as international comparison.

EMICODE® seal with the added mark “R” These EMICODE® certificates characterize a special type of product. They designate products particularly low in emissions, but that require protective measures during pro-cessing, such as the need for protective gloves or goggles. The “R”, graphically inte-grated into the seal, stands for “regulated”. This type of labelling is exclusively addressed to installers. For customers or users of the indoor spaces where these products are used, this addition is inconsequential.

EMICODE® The EMICODE® is a protected, producer- independent environmental label which clas-sifies and certifies installation and building products according to their emission charac-teristics based on DIN EN ISO 16000-1 (In-door air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy) as well as on CEN / prEN 16516, a harmonised testing method developed by the European Committee for Standardization (Assessment of release of dangerous sub-stances from construction products – Deter-mination of emissions in indoor air) and on the standards set by the Technical Commit-tee ISO / TC 146 “Air Quality”.

Green Building Once buildings shall be certified as “green”, the question arises as to the evaluation criteria. Nationally, there are for example the criteria set by the DGNB (German Sustain able Building Council) or the evaluation system BNB (Evaluation System for Sustainable Building in the Public Sector) issued by the Federal Ministry of Transport,

Building and Urban Development. On the international level, building classification systems such as LEED or BREEAM can be used as reference. All three promote the use of products certified with EMICODE® “EC1” or “EC1PLUS”.

CMR substances Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances.

Solvents With the exception of the product group of parquet varnishes, no products containing solvents will be EMICODE® certified. The special regulation is granted since for their production very hard and viscous basic ma-terials are needed to protect the wood from scratches and damages. However, the per-centage of solvents may not exceed eight percent for an “EC1” classification. For an “EC1PLUS” certification, the maximum limit is five percent.

Not certified Products containing carcinogenic, mutagen-ic and reprotoxic substances (CMR sub-stances) are generally never certified with the EMICODE®. In addition, also carcinogenic substances from categories 1A and 1B shall never be used. Installation products contain-ing solvents (boiling point < 200 °C; excep-tion: parquet varnished up to 5 % or 8 % sol-vents respectively) are not certified.

LCI (Lowest Concentrations of Interest) values The LCI values are the lowest concentrations of interest for indoor spaces from a toxico-logical standpoint.

TSVOC Total Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds

TVOC Total Volatile Organic Compounds.

VOC Volatile Organic Compounds, according to the WHO definition with a boiling range of 60 to 250 °C.

VOC testing method (diagram left) Using highly sensitive analytical methods in laboratories, nowadays even very small trac-es of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air can be detected and quantified. To this end, independent test laboratories place samples of materials or compound systems in test chambers with a volume of minimum 100 litres under indoor room conditions. Typical low ventilation rates are simulated and then air samples are taken. The emis-sions collected in the samples are then iden-tified by gas chromatography according to the established CEN / prEN 16516 standard and their volume is determined with a mass spectro meter. In the course of the first sam-ple taking place after three days, the con-centrations of the total emissions are deter-mined as TVOCs, volatile aldehydes and carcinogenic substances. From the second air sampling after 28 days, the TVOCs and TSVOCs are measured, the percentage of volatile aldehydes and carcinogenic sub-stances is determined and the emissions are compared to the NIK values. The EMICODE® classification is determined by the level of emissions. VOC concentrations are given in mg / m³ or µg / m³. The testing method is always based on state-of-the-art technology. Most recently, in 2013 the provisions of the new CEN / prEN 16516 standard were inte-grated into the test procedure. This method serves as the initial test for each licensing application as well as basis for evaluation for each subsequent control test. Only ISO 17025 accredited analysis institutes are commissioned to perform these tests.

μg/m³: 1 µg / m³ = 0.001 mg / m³ = 0.000001 g / m³.

Legal Notice

Contact Klaus Winkels (Managing Director)Tel.: 0211 / 67931-20

Natascha Zapolowski (Assistant)Tel.: 0211 / 67931-22

Photo creditswww.fotolia.de

AddressGEV – Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for flooring Installation, Adhesives and Building MaterialsRWI-houseVölklinger Straße 4 · 40219 DüsseldorfPostfach 26 01 25 · 40094 DüsseldorfTel.: 0211 / 67931-20 · Fax: 0211 / 67931-33info@emicode.com

Managing Director and responsible for the content according to § 6 MDStV (National Agreement on Media Services): Klaus WinkelsRegistry Court: District Court DüsseldorfRegister number: VR 8338

ConceptFrank Spieß – Die Schnittstelle

Layout / ProductionTeam Stiefelhagen Werbeagentur GmbH

2322

www.emicode.comGEV – Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for

flooring Installation, Adhesives and Building Materials

Völklinger Straße 4 · 40219 Düsseldorf · Phone +49 (0) 211 6 79 31-22

Fax: +49 (0) 211 6 79 31-33 · E-Mail: info@emicode.com · Internet: www.emicode.com